Meeting attendees are welcome to attend and watch the live tapings as well as submit questions to the researchers. Tapings will take place in Room 232 of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

All interviews will be broadcast live and archived online at UStream.tv and MicrobeWorld.

The General Meeting covers fundamental microbial cell biology, genetics and physiology, environmental and applied microbiology, microbial ecology, pathogenesis, clinical microbiology, and infectious diseases. The goal is to provide a program with breadth and depth that showcases state of the art science and updates experts in their own field. In doing so, ASM aims to facilitate the interdisciplinary approaches that are increasingly defining the best of microbiology.

[ustream asm-live 595 360] [uschat asm-live 595 360](To ask a question of the panel post it in the chat or tweet @microbeworld. You can also use the hash tag #asmgm)

Schedule

Sunday, May 22

10:00 a.m., CDT - Bacteria May Contribute to Development of Parkinson’s Disease

A new mouse model suggests that the bacterium responsible for stomach ulcers could also play a role in the development of Parkinson's disease.

Using a novel methodology combining whole genome DNA sequencing and social network analysis, public health officials are able to solve a tuberculosis outbreak that was an absolute mystery by traditional epidemiologic methods.

Over a year after the largest oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, scientists are still investigating the role microorganisms play in cleaning up the mess, both on land and at sea. Participants will discuss the latest research, what we have learned and what we still do not know.

David Valentine, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States

2:00 p.m., CDT - This Week in Microbiology with Vincent RacanielloJoin a live streaming video episode of the newest ASM podcast This Week in Microbiology (TWiM) hosted by Vincent Racaniello and friends. Following in the path of his successful shows 'This Week in Virology' (TWiV) and 'This Week in Parasitism' (TWiP), Racaniello and guests produce an informal yet informative conversation about microbes which is accessible to everyone, no matter what their science background. In this episode, Racaniello and others will be highlighting and commenting on some of the most interesting science presented at the General Meeting. Audience participation is encouraged so please feel free to ask any questions or offer your comments up to discussion.

Guests

Stanley Maloy, Ph.D., Professor Dean, College of Sciences Associate Director, Center for Microbial Sciences, San Diego State University

Michael Schmidt, Ph.D., Professor and Vice Chairman of Microbiology and Immunology, Director, Office of Special Programs, Medical University of South Carolina

Monday, May 23

10:00 a.m., CDT - Impact of Globalization on the U.S. Food Supply

As the United States continues to import increasingly more of its food from developing nations, we are putting ourselves at greater risk of foodborne disease as many of these countries do not have the same sanitary standards for production, especially in the case of seafood and fresh produce. Additionally, prudent use of antibiotics is not practiced in many countries supplying foods, such as seafood and produce, to the United States.

While the pathogen Chlamydia pneumoniae has been linked to asthma in the past, new research finds over two-thirds of people with severe asthma test positive for Chlamydia-specific antibodies, suggesting this antigen could be a good biomarker for detecting those at risk for asthma. Additional research finds that, in some cases, antibiotic therapy could improve asthma symptoms.

In the early 1960s developments in agricultural production, sponsored by international funding agencies, led to what came to be called the Green Revolution. Unfortunately, this great leap forward in food production relies highly on the use of pesticides and artificial chemical fertilizers. The next step forward in the Green Revolution, though, may feature fungi instead. Participants will present research on genetically engineered fungi that could replace chemical fertilizers and naturally occurring fungi that produce compounds that could replace pesticides for protecting crops in the field and produce in transit.

2:00 p.m., CDT - This Week in Virology with Vincent RacanielloParticipate in a live streaming video episode of This Week in Virology (TWiV), a podcast about viruses. Started in September 2008 by Vincent Racaniello and Dick Despommier, two science Professors at Columbia University Medical Center, the goal of the show is to have an accessible discussion about viruses that anyone can understand and enjoy. At the General Meeting in New Orleans, Racaniello and guests will be highlighting and commenting on some of the most exciting virology at the conference. Audience participation is encouraged so please feel free to ask any questions or offer your comments up to discussion.

Harmit Malik, M.D., Associate Member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Affiliate Assistant Professor, Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine

Rachel Katzenellenbogen, M.D., Assistant Professor, Pediatrics-Section of Adolescent Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine

Tuesday, May 24

10:00 a.m., CDT - Microbes Controlling the Climate?

Large concentrations bacteria identified in the nuclei of hailstones suggest that airborne microorganisms may be responsibility for the formation of these weather events. Participants will discuss these findings as well as the implications they may have for understanding of the role microbes play in controlling the weather.

Alexander Michaud, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States

Brent Christner, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States

The ability of bacteria to be genetically manipulated in a directed way has permitted the application of bacterial metabolism and gene expression to the creation of products useful in a wide variety of domains, including alternative energy generation, novel and manipulatable pathways for antibiotic synthesis, and synthesis of industrial intermediates. Participants will discuss engineering of bacteria to produce hydrogen gas, ethanol, anti-microbials and other useful products.

Modernization in developing countries may be accompanied by a transition from epidemic infectious diseases to chronic and degenerative illnesses as predominant causes of morbidity and mortality. The hygiene hypothesis posits that reduced exposure to infectious agents in childhood as a result of modern advances in public health can alter the development of the immune system to increase the risk of allergic, autoimmune and other illnesses. Participants will discuss the differences in disease patterns between industrialized and developing countries and consider the scientific evidence for the hygiene hypothesis and its implications for human health.